1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the Internet and, more particularly, to an Internet telephone system which uses the Internet for speech communication between telephone sets and computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet telephone system according to the related art using the Internet for communication between telephones and computers is implemented by a construction shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
FIG. 1 shows an Internet telephone system for enabling speech communication between computers.
Referring to FIG. 1, the Internet telephone system comprises a computer 101, a computer 102, a dedicated server 103, and an Internet 105. The dedicated server 103 has a management database (DB) 104 that centrally manages IP addresses of all the computers connected to the Internet 105.
For example, when the computer 101 connects to the computer 102, the computer 101 connects to the dedicated server 103 first, and confirms whether an IP address of the target computer 102 is registered in the management database 104. For example, the IP address information referred to in the confirmation may be a name with which the computer 102 is managed on a network.
The dedicated server 103 notifies the computer 101 of the IP address if it is registered in the management database 104, so that the computer 101 uses the IP address to connect to the computer 102 and communicate over the Internet 105. Each of the computers 101 and 102 should be provided with a microphone for speech communication with each other.
FIG. 2 shows an Internet telephone system which uses computers to enable telephone sets to perform speech communication.
Referring to FIG. 2, the Internet telephone system comprises a telephone set 111, a telephone set 112, a computer 113, a computer 114, and an Internet 117. The computer 113 and the computer 114 are provided with a management database 115 and a management database 116, respectively, to manage IP addresses of computers connected to Internet 117 and phone numbers of the telephone sets connected to the respective computers.
For example, the telephone set 111 connects to the nearest computer 113 in order to call the telephone set 112. The computer 113 executes a user authorization process for determining whether the telephone set 111 is qualified to use the Internet 117.
The telephone set 111 dials a phone number of the telephone set 112 when it is determined that the telephone set 111 is qualified to use the Internet. The computer 113 then connects to the computer 114 nearest the telephone set 112. The computer 114 connects to the telephone set 112 so as to enable speech communication over the Internet 117 between the telephone set 111 and the telephone set 112.
However, the Internet telephone system according to the related art is inconvenient in that it imposes a more complicated operation on a call originator than when an ordinary telephone set is used. More specifically, the call originator is required to register personal information in a managing computer located on a network.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an Internet telephone system in which the aforementioned problems are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide an Internet telephone system whereby a user can operate a telephone set as any ordinary telephone set.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an Internet telephone system which realizes low-cost speech communication using the Internet.
The aforementioned objects can be achieved by an Internet telephone system for implementing bilateral communication over the Internet between telephone sets and communication devices, by causing the telephone sets and the communication devices to connect to a repeater device via a public network so as to establish a communication channel on the Internet via the repeater device, wherein each of the communication devices comprises: connection means for dialing one of a remote telephone set and a remote repeater device via the public network when a call is originated within the communication device or by a local telephone set connected to the communication device, so as to establish a connection; and communication means for performing data communication over the public network and over the Internet, wherein the repeater device is controlled by the connection means and the communication means to establish the communication channel on the Internet so that users of the local telephone set and the remote telephone set may perform speech communication over the Internet, using the same procedure as employed when the users perform speech communication over the public network.
Each of the communication devices may further comprise: registering means for registering predetermined control information transmitted to and received from a remote communication device connected to the remote telephone set; and information storage means for storing the control information registered by the registering means, wherein the connection means and the communication means may control the repeater device in accordance with the control information.
Each of the communication devices may further comprise: monitoring means for monitoring communication data on the Internet while an Internet call using the Internet is proceeding; and switching means for switching the Internet call using the Internet to a public circuit call using the public network, when it is determined that a predetermined transfer rate for the communication data fails to be guaranteed.
Each of the communication devices may comprise activating means for automatically activating hardware and software necessary for a call, when it is determined upon origination of a call by a telephone set on an originating side that a main power supply of the communication device is on but the necessary hardware and the software are not activated.
Each of the communication devices may comprise converting means for converting analog data output from a telephone set on an originating side into digital data, and converting digital data into analog data to be supplied to a destination telephone set.
The repeater device may comprise conversation data storage means for storing received conversation data when the received conversation data cannot be transmitted to the communication device.
The aforementioned objects can also be achieved by a communication device for an Internet telephone system for implementing bilateral communication over the Internet, by connecting to a telephone set and connecting to a repeater device via a public network, the communication device comprising: connection means for dialing one of a remote telephone set and a remote repeater device via the public network when a call is originated by a local telephone set connected to the communication device, so as to establish a connection; and communication means for performing data communication over the public network and over the Internet, wherein the repeater device is controlled by the connection means and the communication means to establish a communication channel on the Internet so that users of the local telephone set and the remote telephone set may perform speech communication over the Internet, using the same procedure as employed when the users perform speech communication over the public network.
The communication device may further comprise: registering means for registering predetermined control information transmitted to and received from a remote communication device connected to the remote telephone set; and information storage means for storing the control information registered by the registering means, wherein the connection means and the communication means may control the repeater device in accordance with the control information.
The communication device may further comprise: monitoring means for monitoring communication data on the Internet while an Internet call using the Internet is proceeding; and switching means for switching the Internet call using the Internet to a public circuit call using the public network, when it is determined that a predetermined transfer rate for the communication data fails to be guaranteed.
The communication device may further comprise: activating means for automatically activating hardware and software necessary for a call, when it is determined upon origination of a call by a telephone set on an originating side that a main power supply of the communication device is on but the necessary hardware and the software are not activated.
The communication device may further comprise converting means for converting analog data outputted from a telephone set on an originating side into digital data, and converting digital data into analog data to be supplied to a destination telephone set.
The aforementioned objects can also be achieved by a repeater device for an Internet telephone system for implementing bilateral communication over the Internet, by connecting to telephone sets and communication devices via a public network, comprising conversation data storage means for storing received conversation data when the received conversation data cannot be transmitted to a communication device.
The aforementioned objects can also be achieved by a machine-readable recording medium storing a program for implementing bilateral communication over the Internet between telephone sets and communication devices, by causing the telephone sets and the communication devices to connect to a repeater device via a public network so as to establish a communication channel on the Internet via the repeater device, the program comprising the steps of: causing a communication device to dial one of a remote telephone set and a remote repeater device via the public network when a call is originated by one of a local telephone set and the communication device, so as to establish a connection; and causing the communication device to perform data communication over the public network and over the Internet, the repeater device being controlled by the steps to establish the communication channel on the Internet so that users of the local telephone set and the remote telephone set may perform speech communication over the Internet, using the same procedure as employed when the users perform speech communication over the public network.
The program may further comprise the steps of: causing the communication device to register predetermined control information transmitted to and received from a remote communication device connected to the remote telephone set; and storing the control information registered in the above step.
The program may further comprise the steps of: monitoring communication data on the Internet while an Internet call using the Internet is proceeding; and switching the Internet call using the Internet to a public circuit call using the public network, when it is determined that a predetermined transfer rate for the communication data fails to be guaranteed.
The program may further comprise the steps of automatically activating hardware and software necessary for a call, when it is determined upon origination of a call by a telephone set on an originating side that a main power supply of the communication device is on but the necessary hardware and the software are not activated.
The program further may comprise the steps of converting analog data output from a telephone set on an originating side into digital data, and converting digital data into analog data to be supplied to a destination telephone set.